After that weekend, Celine and Kelvin became the way they were before things got complicated. Close na ulit sila. Dumalas na ulit ang pag-uusap nila. He even gave her a dozen of fudge brownies one night. Dumalaw ito sa office para makigulo sa kanila nina Yuan. Nag-overtime daw kasi ito at nang matapos ang trabaho ay ayaw pa nitong umuwi.

When Kiko saw Kelvin, comprehension dawned on his face. They didn't need to explain to him anymore. He just knew.

Yuan purposely acts sweet towards her whenever Kelvin's around. Hinahayaan naman niya ito. Gusto rin kasi niyang makita kung paano magri-react si Kelvin.

Pero kung anuman ang nararamdaman nito, he surely knew how to hide them well. Pinagkaabalahan lamang nito ang phone nito ng ilang oras, before he finally decided to go home.

While eating the fudge brownies, Kiko finally decided to ask them what the real deal was. And they told him everything.

"Big time ka pala, e," sabi nito sa kanya. "Anak ng boss ang may gusto sa 'yo."

"Dati," she reminded him.

"Malay mo hanggang ngayon."

Umiling siya. "Kung meron, e, di sana hindi 'yon ganoon kahinahon."

Kelvin, or at least the one she knew two years ago, was very transparent when it comes to his feelings. If he's jealous, it shows. If he's happy, it's evident in his face. Ngayon, hindi na niya malaman kung ano ang nararamdaman nito.

--

Bilang kapalit ng fudge brownies na ibinigay ni Kelvin, inaya naman niya ito na sumama sa kanila para manuod ng gig ni Yuan. Sabado noon. Yuan had been asking her to go to his gigs, but she couldn't find the time until that night. Si Kiko lang ang kasama nila saka ang asawa nito. So she asked Kelvin to come as well.

Things were going well at the beginning. Magaling kumanta si Yuan and she was glad that other people are finally able to watch him perform. Dati kasi, mga kakilala lamang nila ang nakakapanuod dito.

At one point, Yuan even asked her for a duet, to which she happily obliged to.

Nasira lamang ang mood niya nang matapos silang kumanta at bumalik na siya sa table. She saw Kelvin talking with a beautiful woman.

Nakaramdam kaagad siya ng inis, lalo na't halos idikit nito ang katawan kay Kelvin habang kausap ito. And he's acting as if he likes the attention.

E, di sya na, inis niyang sabi sa sarili.

She tried to ignore them pero parang kusang naging attune ang tenga niya sa usapan ng mga ito. She almost kicked his leg when the woman asked him if he has a girlfriend (na akala raw nito ay siya) and he answered no.

Then the woman, delighted to know that he's single, readily gave him her number and told him that he can call her anytime if he wants to hang out.

--

Kelvin couldn't figure Celine out. Kanina pa niya ito sinusulyap-sulyapan para tingnan kung magsiselos ba ito, pero hindi naman sila nito tinapunan ng tingin kahit isang beses. He was even raising his voice earlier para rinig nito ang pinagsasasabi niya, but she didn't react in anyway.

The woman who came up to him is beautiful. Matangkad ito, proportionate ang katawan at maganda. Bubbly rin ito at energetic kausap, or she seems that way because she obviously likes him.

Pero kahit na ganoon, hindi niya ito matipuhan. It's probably because Celine's sitting next to him and it's hard for him to focus on anything or anyone else.

Truth be told, nagselos siya kanina nang ayain ito ni Yuan for a duet. He still doesn't know what the real deal between the two is. Napapagod na rin siya sa kahuhula, pero ayaw naman niyang magtanong.

--

When the woman finally left their table, she got up and went out of the bar to get some air. The smoke-filled air and beer-smelling people inside do not help in appeasing her annoyance. Naupo siya sa isang bench at pinakalma ang sarili sa pamamagitan ng pagbibilang ng poste ng ilaw. She was just about to reach 30 when he got out. She saw him from her peripheral vision. Naglakad ito patungo sa kanya.

"Hey."

She pretended not to hear him.

"Uy." He nudged her. No choice tuloy siya kundi pansinin ito.

She stared blankly at him. "O? Kanina ka pa? Di kasi kita napansin."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," mabilis niyang sagot. "Nagpapahangin lang ako. Bumalik ka na sa loob."

"Samahan na lang muna kita rito."

"Huwag na. Baka hinahanap ka na nila do'n."

But Kelvin didn't listen. Bagkus ay naupo pa ito sa bench sa tabi niya. Wala siyang dalang kahit ano paglabas, so wala siyang ibang mapagtuunan ng atensyon. Kaya ang ginawa niya, pumitas siya ng bulaklak mula sa halamang malapit sa kanya tapos isa-isa niyang pinilas ang mga petals noon.

Ramdam niyang pinanunuod siya ni Kelvin. She wasn't looking at him. Naiinis pa rin siya rito. At naiiinis din siya sa sarili niya because she's acting like a possessive girlfriend gayong hindi naman sila. Wala naman siyang karapatang mainis.

Kelvin nudged her again.

"Hey."

"Do'n ka na nga!" she snapped.

"Galit ka?"

"Hindi!"

His eyebrow arched in amusement. "Galit ka, e."

"E, di galit!"

"Why?"

She huffed in response. He nudged her again.

"Ano ba!"

"Bakit ka nga galit?"

"Ewan! Di ko alam! Okay na?!"

He fell silent for a while. Siya naman ay bumalik sa pagninira ng pananim sa tabi niya. Maya-maya ay dumaan iyong babaeng kausap ni Kelvin kanina. Mukhang pauwi na ito. She bid him goodbye when she saw him and she was reminding him to call the number she gave him.

Lalo siyang napikon, especially when he said okay, tapos todo ngiti pa ito. Gusto niya itong sabunutan sa inis.

"So. Bakit ka nga galit?" tanong nito nang makaalis ang babae.

"Hindi ko nga alam! Pwede bang iwanan mo na 'ko? Gusto kong mapag-isa."

"Bakit ka nga muna galit?" pangungulit nito.

She let out a loud grunt.

"Instead of bugging me, bakit hindi mo na lang tawagan 'yong babae kanina? Mukha namang patay na patay 'yon sa 'yo. Do'n ka na lang," she blurted out.

His confusion turned into shock and then his face slowly broke into a smile when he realized something.

"Are you jealous?"

"Bakit naman ako magsiselos?" pabalik niyang tanong.

He shrugged. "Oo nga naman. I'm sorry for assuming that you are."

Akala niya ay iiwanan na siya nito pagkatapos noon, but he remained sitting beside her.

"It's a bit chilly out here," he said sometime later. Tinanggal nito ang jacket at ipinatong sa mga balikat niya.

She murmured her thanks. Then silence followed.

"I won't call her," bigla nitong sabi. "She's not my type."

"Hindi mo type pero tinanggap mo 'yong number?" hindi niya napigilang itanong.

"I was just being polite. Alangan namang tanggihan ko, e, di napahiya sya."

"Okay."

She picked up another flower and began plucking the petals. May tanong siya sa isipan na kailangan ng sagot and since she couldn't decide, she used the petals to tell her what to do. Napabuntong-hininga siya nang tumapat ang sagot sa natitirang petal.

"Sorry," she told Kelvin.

"For what?"

Without looking at him, she answered, "For being jealous."

--

Kelvin couldn't keep the smile off of his face. Celine was jealous of the girl he talked to earlier. That should mean something, right? Although she didn't exactly say why she was jealous, it made him so happy knowing the fact that she felt that way.

At bukod pa roon, hindi ito tumanggi nang hawakan niya ang kamay nito nang mag-aya siyang bumalik sa loob ng bar. Not the whole hand, just the fingers slightly intertwined. Sinadya niyang luwagan ang hawak dito para kung gusto nitong kumawala, she may do so. But she didn't.

And even when they're back to their table, magkahawak pa rin ang mga kamay nila sa ilalim ng lamesa. Habang kumakanta si Yuan at nagkikwentuhan ang mga kasama nila, siya naman ay nilalaro-laro ang isang kamay ni Celine.

She wasn't looking at him and she wasn't saying anything. Nakatutok lamang ito sa stage. But she didn't tell him to quit it. Hinayaan lamang siya nito.

And it made him wonder if her feelings changed within the two years that they were apart. Posible kaya iyon?